Goveketok fob steam-ewgines



Nrrnn sraras ngrnnr EPIC.

GEO. T. PARRY AND' HAMPTON XV. EVANS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GOVERNOR FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that we, GEORGE T. PARRY and HAMPTON VJ. EVANS, both of the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia. and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Governors for Steam-Engines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention consists in imparting a quick and certain movement to the throttle valves of steam engines, when any sudden excess of or diminution in the speed of the latter vtakes place, by means of one or more revolving, weighted, spring levers, in combination with the sleeve and intermediate devices, hereafter described, or their equivalents, the said levers being hung to pins situated at such a distance from the center, around which they revolve, that the weights at the end of the levers shall move in the arc of a circle contained either within or partially within that described by the aforesaid pins.

Our improved governor, although readily adapted to steanrengines of every class, is especially applicable to such as are used on sea-going steam vessels, as its sensitive operation is in no way affected by the pitching or rolling of the vessel, and as the working parts are inclosed within a casing, `free from dust or accident, and equally free from any liability to be a source of `danger to the attendants.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the drawing, which forms a part of this specification; Figure l, is a sectional elevation, representing our improved governor when stationary. Fig. 2, the same when revolving. Fig. 3, a sectional plan. Fig. et, a sectional view of the sliding sleeve.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

(A) and (A) are two standards secured to the base (13,) and in these standards turn the opposite ends of the shaft (G,) on which is a pinion (C), driven by a wheel (D) on a supplementary shaft To the shaft (G) is secured a hollow casing (H), of which (L) is the cover.

(I) is a sleeve adapted to the shaft (Gr), and this sleeve has two projections (i), one situated on each side of, and parallel with the shaft, the projections passing through and being guided by openings in the side of the casing (H) and similar openings in the cover (72,.)

(K) and (K) are two levers hung loosely to pins (m) attached to the casing. The long arm of each lever is furnished with a weight (7c), and the short arm is connected by a rod (ya) to one of the bell crank levers (Q), each of which is hung to a pin (r) attached to the interior of the casing.

The end of the long arm of each of these bell crank levers (y) lits into a recess in one of the projections of the sleeve latter has a groove into which fit the pins attached to the end of the lever, which is connected by any suitable system of rods and arms to the throttle valve of the steam engine. Two springs (s), (s), are secured to the interior of the casing, and leach spring, bearing against a pin on one of the levers (K), tends to maintain the latter in the position shown in Fig. l, until it yields to the centrifugal force imparted to theweights (lag) as the governor is caused to revolve.

The shaft (G) with its hollow casing, weighted arms and sleeve may turn in bearings attached to the base plate of the steamengine, to any neighboring wall or roof, and, when used ou a steamboat, to the lining of the vessel, or underneath the deck in any position which the situation of the throttle valve may point out as the most convenient, the driving of the shaft being effected by straps or other appliances usually employed for turning ordinary governors.

It will be readily seen, that, when th shaft is caused to revolve, the casing and its cover, the weighteddevers and their connections, and the sleeve, must revolve with it, and that the moving of the levers to and from the center of rotation, caused by the excess of, or diminution in its speed, must impart, through the rods (p) and bell crank lever (g) a sliding motion' to the sleeve along the shaft, and consequently, through the connections between the sleeve and throttle valve, must open or close the latter.

rPhe peculiarity in this governor consists in hanging thel weighted arms atI such a distance from the center of rotation of the driving shaft, that the weights, actuated by The Y centrifugal force, may move in an arc of a circle, the whole or part of which is contained within the circle described by the points (17%,) to which the levers are hung, aiound the centerl of rotation of the shaft.

The absence of a sudden action or sensitiveness in the usual ball governors and in many modifications of the same, has preeluded them from being introduced into steam boats or locomotives, where a sudden and determined closing of the throttle valve is desirable, in the former on account of the constant submerging and emerging of the propellers, caused by the rolling or tossing of the vessel at sea, and in locomotives owing to the slipping of the wheels on wet rails, both of which occurrences have an injurious and not infrequently a disastrous effect on the moving parts of the engines.

Now it will be observed that, by the above arrangement, the weights, as they move outward from the center of rotation of the shaft, have a continually increasing force, until they arrive at a certain point, and it is this increased force, which gives that rapidity and sensitiveness of action so desirable in regulating steam engines, especially such as are lused in connection with propellers. Thus, supposing the elasticity of the springs (s) be so regulated that when the engin-e is making its proper number o-f revolutions per minute, the weighted arms shall be in Va position midway between those shown in Figs. land and the engine should, by the sudden emerging of the propeller or from some other cause, have a tendency to run away and strain itself, there is an immediate tendency for the weights to fly out with an increasing force, much more powerful and sudden than if the arms were hung near the center of rotation of the shaft and the weights moved in the arc of a circle, outside of the circle described by the points to which the arms are hung.

rlhe sensitive action of the weights in our improved governor may be more familiarly explained by comparing them to the movement of a stone, when suddenly released from a sling, While the latter is caused to revolve rapidly.

Our improved governor can be operated to equal advantage Whether placed vertically, horizontally or at any angle. Hence its applicability to sea-going steamboats. Then destined for this purpose, strips (t) curved to the arc in which the weights vibrate, may be secured to the interior of the casing .for the weights to slide on, thus removing all strain from the oints. Then the governor is large, or the Weights necessarily heavy, they may be furnished with.

pulleys to roll over a curved rail within the casing, thus avoiding unnecessary friction.

It will be evident that our improved governors may be constructed without limiting them to the use of two weighted arms, as one or more may, by slight modifications, be introduced. It will also be seen that other arrangements of springs may be substituted for those shown, as well as other devices for connecting the nf'eightcd levers to the sleeve.

thout confining ourselves, therefore, to the precise details of the several parts herein described, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

One or more revolving, weighted spring levers 7a, in combination with the sleeve I and the connections herein described, ,or their equivalents, between the said sleeve and levers, when the latter are hung to pins placed at such a distance from the center around which they revolve, that the weights at the end ofthe levers shall move in the arc of a circle, contained within or partially Within the circle described by the said pins, as herein` set forth and "for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our naines to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE T. PARRY. HAMPTON 7. EVANS.

lVitnesses HENRY HowsoN, HENRY ODiovNn. 

